Coronavirus mars Easter holidays as Christians mark a Good Friday unlike any other

Gulf Today Report

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus hit 100,000 as Christians around the globe marked a Good Friday unlike any other — in front of computer screens instead of in church pews — and some countries tiptoed toward reopening segments of their battered economies.

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UAE reports 370 new coronavirus cases; two deaths

British PM Boris Johnson thanks medical staff for COVID 19 care

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai said, “The world has long been questioning where the true power lies. Does economy drive politics or the other way around? The coronavirus spread has shown that healthcare is the main power that shapes the economy and politics at a time when a disease brought nations to a standstill.”

Medical workers prepare to host patients of coronavirus disease in Barcelona, Spain. Nacho Doce/Reuters

 
The UAE Health Ministry conducted more than 49,000 tests within its plans to expand the scope of the tests and revealed 370 new coronavirus cases of different nationalities, all of which are in stable cases and subject to the necessary health care. The total number of infections rises to 3,360.

The Ministry also announced the death of two Asian expats who tested positive for COVID-19 and died due to complications. This brings total death toll to 16. The ministry announced the recovery of 150 cases, bringing the total number of recovered cases 418.

The competent UAE authorities have referred 129 people to the Attorney-General for failing to abide by the quarantine and isolation measures implemented by various bodies.

Coronavirus patients arrive at a military hospital set up at the IFEMA conference centre in Madrid, Spain. Reuters

 
“Pursuant to the Cabinet Resolution No. 17 of 2020, those who fail to comply with home quarantine measures will be referred to the Emergency and Crisis Prosecution at the Federal Public Prosecution if the violation is committed for the third time. They will be tried and jailed for a minimum of three years or fined a minimum of Dhs100,000 as per the law,” said the Chief of the Emergency and Crisis Prosecution while commenting on the Attorney-General’s updated Resolution No. 38 of 2020 on the enforcement of fines and penalties against violators of home quarantine measures.

A number of educational institutions across the UAE have announced financial packages and fee reduction to support the community in overcoming challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Taaleem, one of the largest education providers in the UAE, offers discounts on fees for the third term in its schools. Following extensive consultations with its school community, Taaleem launched a support package that includes key measures to ease the financial pressures on families.

Saudi Arabia announces lockdown in new neighbourhoods of holy city of Madinah.

India’s Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh made a strong case for the extension of the ongoing lockdown.

Punjab cabinet on Friday extended the curfew until May 1.

A doctor engages with people at a slum area during lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus in Mumbai, India. AP

Singh said the infection is likely to touch its peak by mid-September and is likely to affect 58 per cent of the country’s population and 87 per cent of Punjab’s population. The Pakistan government has extended the suspension of domestic and international flight operations in the country until April 21 in a bid to contain the coronavirus spread, said a notification issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.

In France, the number of people who have died from coronavirus infection jumped by nearly 1,000 to 13,197 but the number of people in intensive care units fell slightly for the second day in a row as the effect of nationwide confinement started to show.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that Britain had recorded 980 deaths from coronavirus in the 24-hour period since the last report, the highest daily toll yet.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that he had taken the “difficult” decision to extend the Mediterranean country’s economically crippling lockdown until May 3.

Paramedics shift a patient of COVID-19 in a tensile structure at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, Italy. File/AP

US deaths due to the coronavirus topped 18,100 on Friday, although there are signs that Americans staying home was helping to curb new infections.

Images have emerged of coffins being buried in a mass grave in New York City, as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak continues to rise in the epicentre of the pandemic in the US, a media report said on Friday.

The drone images come from Hart Island, off the Bronx in Long Island Sound, which has been used for more than 150 years by city officials as a mass burial site for those with no next-of-kin, or families who cannot afford funerals, said a BBC report.